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Home My WebLink AboutREP PEDLC 015 08/28/1969 1969-1972 •• PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT NO �5 • Councilmen County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii The following are the recommendations of the Planning, Economic Development and Legislative Committee which were considered at its meeting of August 28, 1969: C OMMUN ICAT IONS G-r,...,. . No 400.1: Mrs. Patricia K. Putman, Associate Researcher, Legislative Reference Bureau (C-400/PWC-14) Informs that the final study of the Legislative Reference Bureau on the Uniform Vehicle Code, the Hawaii State Laws, and the Traffic Ordinances of the four counties will be ready by late September and asks that the Council send their comments by September 9, 1969: Request that the Council Chairman meet with the adminis- tration to expedite a reply to the drafts for a statewide uniform traffic code which was prepared and submitted by the Legislative Reference • Bureau. Also request com- ments from the County Highway Safety Council. /6-cc-6),,,,- No. 11117: Mayor Transmits letters from Henry K. Boshard, Chairman of the Planning Commission, for amendments to General Plans approved by the Planning Commission for adoption by the County Council: 1. Amendment to the General Plan of Waimea (Bill 632) Ranching to Single-family Residential Richard Smart ADOPTED: 9/3/69 Report No...._....L File No. PED), �. %i. 1'y 0. Date: SEP 3 1959 • 111 411 PEDLC-15 - 2 - August 28, 1969 • No . '1'17: 2. Amendment to the General Plan - City of Hilo (Con't.) (Bill 633) Light Industrial to Neighborhood Commercial - American Trading Co . , Ltd. 3. Amendment to the General Plan - City of Hilo (Bill 634) Park and Open Reserve to Light Industrial - S. K. Oda, Ltd. 4. Amendment to the General Plan - South Hilo Districts (Bill 635) Residential to Village Commercial - James S. Yoshiyama Recommends adoption of the bills on second and final reading. �`, �'e,,-�h,• No. 450: Mayor Transmits for the Council' s consideration and adoption a communication from Rev. Henry K. Boshard, Chairman of the Planning Commission, regarding street names for Kulaimano Heights Subdivision: "Kulaimano Road" "Pepeekeo Street" "Maukaloa Street" - meaning far inland "Kolekole Street" - meaning raw; rare "Kaakepa Street" • - meaning diagonal, cut at an angle, to avoid, shy away from, take a short cut "Kahua Street" - meaning foundation, base, site, playground, course, camp, bed (as of a stream) Recommends adoption of Resolution No . 140. A„,„ 0,,-- No . 461 Mayor Re: Resolution for Neighborhood Facilities Grant Contract Requests that the Council adopt the attached resolution so that the County of Hawaii can execute the contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Neighbor- hood Facilities Grant of $337, 392.00: . PEDLC-15 - 3 - August 28, 1969 of Recommends No . 461: adoption (Con't.) Resolution No . 141. , , &-,,, No . 462: Mayor Transmits a letter from Henry K. Boshard, Chairman of the Planning Commission, with a proposed bill amending Section 7.02 of the North Kona Zone Map, Ordinance No . 63, changing the district classifica- tion from A-5a to CV-7.5 and A-la in Honuaino 2nd, North Kona, Hawaii, for adoption by the County Council: Recommends passage of the proposed Bill No . 643 on ' first reading. RECOMMENDATIONS 4,co /.cc,. No . 1: Recommends that the administration paint a white stripe across the Opihikao Road at the starting point of the illusion, "Puu Lapu" and place a sign which would be read from either direction on the side of the road: ' "PW LAPU" Stop car with front wheels on white line; turn off engine; put gears in neutral; release brakes; see what happens. (Report from Gene F. Wilhelm, District Manager, Hawaii Visitors Bureau attached.) (,w c-53k/,Pr otic-rg> Sty �,,. No . 2: Recommends that the County participate in the Hawaii-week festivities during the 200th anniver- sary celebration in San Diego , California, during the week of October 20-26, 1969 and that a commit- tee of at least three members be appointed to coordinate this program. Respectfully submitted, / PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ��' FG ISLAT IVE COMMITTEE lr. f 1 ' 1 G. ED ARDS MEMBER itilt‘,/b`1. 1, 14, 4 L,,,.„n,./9- .. < --3 - ROBE�?RT M. YAM i---dit, CHAIRMAN SH i H. G'xDI ,.__r P.jt _ 1=-7-75=77-1-11, VICE CHAIRMAN ' :ERT T./1,4,--MATAYOS:T MEMBER ! ' -lt t-�C CCS y A$E' INE R. YAD �7 i MEMBER 4111 • PUU LAPU Puu Lapu is an optical illusion . . . or is it supernatural? Puu Lapu is "haunted hill." Without any means of power, your car will coast Alp hill." Going in a forward direction or in a backward direction. It makes no difference. It is located on the Opihikao road (County) leading from the Pahoa- Kalapana highway and is approximately eight-tenths of a mile from the mauka turnoff. The illusion or "magnet in the hill" or the "supernatural" is so strong that a vehicle will coast 100 feet or more in apparent up-hill movement. For this reason, Albert Nahale-a, noted authority on the'Hawaiian language, was asked for a simple, appropriate name for the hill. He came up with "Puu Lapu" which means haunted or ghost hill. It is believed to be the only hill of its kind in the State. At least to our knowledge it is the only hill of its kind in the Islands. The reaction of visitors who have been taken to Puu Lapu to experience it has been unanimous in that it is one of the "unexpected highlights" of their trip to the Islands. Travel writers have been unanimous in recommending that it be publicized. We personally have taken people from throughout the Mainland as well as people from Brazil and France to experience Puu Lapu. They all have been amazed and all have been reluctant to accept Puu Lapu as an optical illusion. They are willing to wager that the car actually does coast up hill. One group from Massachusetts told of a similar "magnetic hill" in Canada and on his return home, a member of the party collected two pieces of literature on the "Magnetic Hill" at New Brunswick, Canada, and sent them to me. y � • ' 4111 Puu Lapu Page 2 The brochures show the Aiagnetic Hill Inn & Motel, gift shop, many attractions, even a Magnetic Hill Post Office. A visitors' book is maintainedin the Magnetic Hill Inn Gift Shop for comments by those experiencing the optical illusion. Canada's Magnetic Hill is found in the textbooks in Detroit schools. I found it listed also as one of the visitor attractions listed for New Brunswick in the World Book Encyclopedia. I am not suggesting that we develop Puu Lapu to the extent that New Brunswick has developed its Magnetic Hill. But I do believe we should capitalize on our hill for the resulting publicity. We need new activities for the visitors .. .. this would be one for our own residents, too.. I would like to suggest that the County paint a white stripe across the road at the starting point of the illusion. Also that the County place a sign which would be read from either direction on the side of the road: PUU LAPU Stop car with front wheels on white line;; turn off engine; put gears in neutral; release brakes; see what happens As traffic to the Opihikao Road to experience Puu Lapu increases, it may be advisable to build a "by-pass road" around the hill. The land '. adjoining the Opihikao Road on the Kalapana side is owned by Puna Sugar Co. and is 385.75 acres . . , running from the Pahoa-Kalapana road down to a point makai of Puu Lapu. Slim Holt has offered to provide a stretch.out to take the entire County Council, Mayor and Chief Engineer on a field trip to experience Puu Lapu after the Council meeting on September 17. orw ti110 Puu Lapu Page 3 Once the road has been marked, it will be included on all subsequent maps as a visitor attraction. Respectfully submitted, HAWAII VISITORS BUREAU Gene F. Wilhelm District Nanager August 28, 1969 S i September 4, 1969 Rec. 1/PEDLC-15 Mayor Shunichi Kimura County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii. The County Council at its September 3 meeting adopted the following recommendation of its Planning, Economic Development and Legislative Committee: "Recommendation No. 1: Recommends that the administration paint a white stripe across the Opihikao Road at the starting point of the illusion, "Puu Lapu" and place a sign which would be read from either direction on the side of the road: "PUU LAPU" Stop car with front wheels on white line; turn off engine; put gears in neutral; release brakes; see what happens.. (Report from Gene F. Wilhelm, District Manager, Hawaii Visitors Bureau attached.)" Tadashi Suzuki COUNTY CLERK Report Ne. . ./5 File No., M. B. lsJh.' ~ Date: SEP 3 1969 L September 4, 1969 Rec. 2/PEDLC-15 Mr. Ikuo Hisaoka CouncilChairman County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii The County Council at its September 3 meeting adopted the following recommendation of its Planning, Economic Development and Legislative Committee: "Recommendation No. 2: Recommends that the County participate in the Hawaii-week festivities during the 200th anniversary celebration in San Diego, California, during the week of October 20-26, 1969 and that a committee of at least three members be appointed to coordinate this program." Tadashi Suzuki COUNTY CLERK